Religions of Peru précolombien

This article presents an extremely short outline of the religions of Peru précolombien and neighbouring areas. Before the arrival of Europeans, the Peru was the cradle of many cultures whose religious systems are still badly known because, without the support of the writing, they must be deciphered through the charts and the archaeological excavations. The religion INCA is distinguished from the whole by the relative abundance of information relating to it.

The temple of Kalasasaya with Tiwanaku

Tiwanaku is located in Bolivia not far from the lake Titicaca and of the Peruvian border. One of principal the current archeological sites of the civilization of Tiwanaku is the Cité of the Sun , place of celebration of the creative god Kon Tici Viracocha, it comprises many buildings with vocation cérémoniale whose main thing is the temple of Kalasasaya, a vast closed enclosure.

The two more famous surrounding monuments are the Pyramide with seven degrees of Akapana and famous Porte of the Sun, considered by certain research a astronomical reference mark because of its alignment with the Sun, and by others like a observatory.

This one can seem a mini-counterpart of the temple of Kalasasaya, each one of its terraces being decorated monolithic statues on these edges. Another thesis interprets the monticule like a figuration of the mountains of the Andes cordillera. The top of the pyramid is occupied by boxes - of which the use remains unknown - laid out around an interior court.

Below Akapana a seizing contrast appears with the underground semi temple. This one impresses by its clever system of drains crossing the pyramid to make spout out water in top of Akapana, which flowed then from one stage to another, the spectacle was to be between that which a Rizière releases and that of a fountain… This splendid artificial cascade symbolizes certainly sources of the Nevado Illimani.

Finally monoliths, like those of Benett and Pounce, that certain archeologists bring closer to the Moai S of the Easter Island, are dispersed near the site.

Ugly God

The Moches venerated mainly a baptized divinity Aiapaec , the god decapitor ( El Decapitador ), whom one finds represented on many ceramics and frescos. He often takes the shape of a spider, or of a winged creature or a marine monster. When the body is entirely represented, it is always seen holding in a hand a knife, and other a head held by the hair. It is thought that they are allusions to the ritual of human sacrifice practiced on the huaca of Luna .

INCA religion

The sun-worship

In the Andes, each community had as a tradition to claim itself originating or downward of such crowned place, such star or such animal. It is in this context that Incas want to be to be the wire of the sun called Inti in quechua. For their contemporaries, the military victories and the enlightened policy of the sovereigns incas seem to confirm this marvellous origin. Incas thus impose the sun-worship like official worship in the empire: the solar idol will cotoiera the myriad of divinity adored in the empire. It is not a question for all that a worship monotheist but rather an animism of State.

To institute the worship, Incas build temples dedicated mainly to the sun. Most famous of all is Coricancha, temple of the Sun of Cuzco. This temple, the main thing in the empire, was also used as place of worship with other divine entities like Mama Quilla, the moon and Illapa divinity of the lightning, the flash and the thunder.

The temple of the Sun with Cuzco, true Holy of Holies of the empire did not remain with the devastations of the conquest. There remain about it today only some descriptions like some pilot walls of splendor of the work. It was built with stones of size adjusting perfectly the ones in the others, without cement. Its Circonférence made more than 365 meters. Inside the temple trônait, inter alia treasures, a gold disc representing the Sun as well as a representation of the Pantheon INCA. It was there also a garden crowned where all the elements of nature were represented in the shape of statuettes entirely out of gold, metal symbolic system of the sun.

As a sign of veneration or allegiance true, the people submitted by Incas built in their provinces of many places of sun-worship. Some are still visible nowadays, they testify to the geographical extension of the worship. In Peru, one will find the temple of Vilcashuaman. Close to more the high summit of Peru, Huascaran, was a temple where took place of the sacrifices. In Bolivia, a temple of the Sun had also been set up on the isla del Sol of the Lac Titicaca. In Caranqui, Ecuador, is a temple which formerly contained earthenware jars full of gold and with argent.
The principal festival of the empire was the Inti Raymi. It was held with the winter solstice for them, on June 21st, and was the shortest day. In thanks with all the good things of the previous year, it was also used to ask the protection of the sun for the seeds which were going to start soon.

For the office of the worship, the chroniclers report to us that a third of the grounds cultivated in the communities was allotted to the Sun. The setting in culture of these grounds constituted at the same time a form of worship and an economic form of imposition.

Worship of Viracocha

Although the sun-worship seemed the official worship instituted in the empire, it appears through many accounts and testimonys that Incas observed a veneration towards a creative/civilizing god designated under the name of Pachacamac on the coasts of Peru and Viracocha in the highlands of the empire. This god profited from a situation very different from that from the Sun; indeed, for this god, neither devoted grounds, nor temples, just the famous temple of Pachacamac in Peru. The prayers incas which reached us however attest spiritual enthusiasm and considerations approaching a worship monotheist. Garcilaso of Vega, reports to us that Viracocha would have been the true god of Incas, the Sun being as for him a divinity of window in the Andes animists.

However, it is good to specify that Viracocha, or Wiracocha, is god quite former to Incas, commun run with all the pre-incas cultures. Pachacamac is a god of the central coast of Peru, whose origins are dubious. At all events, the first traces of the site of Pachacamac go up at the time of Lima civilization. It is however with civilization Ishmay, civilization local which was between the rivers Rimac and Lurin (100-1450 after J.C.), that this site knows its apogee.

Worship in Huacas

When Incas impose the sun-worship, they “relieve” the local gods but do not prohibit the exercise of the beliefs animists which as a whole consolidates and reinforces the sun-worship which is posed out of keystone of the system. Among the tolerated beliefs figure the worship in Huacas. In the language Quechua, the term Huaca can indicate all that leaves ordinary and by extension, that indicates all that is likely to be the subject of a worship in the context animist. The huacas are characters, or a place of geographical space (like a mountain, a river or even a tree), crowned or divine, associated with a particular divinity, more exactly of the places where a spirit resides, as in all the religions animists. There were some everywhere on the INCA territory. These sites are among the holy places most important for the population of the INCA empire. Many sacrifices were practiced there, daily, seasonally, and annually, to satisfy these gods. Sacrifices and intermediaries also made it possible to the spiritual leaders of the community to communicate with the huacas (spirits), in order to obtain councils or of the assistance.

Priests and “selected women”

The priests lived in all the important temples and other religious sanctuaries. They fulfilled the functions of soothsayers, wizard, and doctors. The title of priest as a chief with Cuzco was Villac umu . This one was married and its authority was in competition with that of the INCA. Villac umu had the capacity on all the temples and religious buildings, and it could name or revoke the priests.

The “women chosen”, called Aclla (“vestals” or, for the Spaniards, “virgins of the Sun”) were with the service of the God-Sun ( Intip-aclla ) or of the INCA ( Incap-aclla ). They were to follow a particular formation and only the most qualified were selected as of their more young age. They lived in the aclla-huasi (“house of the aclla”) and devoted the majority of their time to weave the clothing worn by the INCA and the priests.

The princesses of royal blood were the Nustas , and one of enter they had to become the Coya , the principal wife of the INCA.

Divination

The Divination held a dominating place in INCA civilization. Before each action, one called upon this one and nothing important could be undertaken without to have consulted the auspices before. The divination was used as well to diagnose diseases as to predict the course of the battles, to exorcize or punish a crime. The divination also made it possible to determine which sacrifices were to be made with which gods. Incas believed that the life was controlled by invisible forces. To represent them, the priests had recourse to the divination.

There existed several methods of divination: one could observe spiders move or analyze the provision that the sheets of Coca take on a dinner plate. One could also drink Ayahuasca which has effects Hallucinogène S by affecting the central nervous system. This drink made it possible to come into contact with supernatural powers. Prophecies could be also made starting from the study of the lungs of a white LAMA sacrificed.

Offerings and sacrifice

The sacrifices and offerings daily, were dedicated to the gods or with the huacuas , they rythmaient the life of the people. Incas offered certain things which they considered honourable with the eyes of the gods, especially with the Pachamama, the Ground-Mother. These offerings could take the ear shape of corn or sheets of Coke inter alia.

Sacrifices of animals

To each important occasion, one offered a Sacrifice, the animal more used was a LAMA. Many sacrifices were daily in order to celebrate the sun-worship.

Human sacrifices

It should be noted that if human sacrifices there were, they were done during periods of large disorders, when the INCA was sick or deceased, for example.

The people, men, women or children offered in sacrifice were to be in physical good condition and of perfect constitution. The victims of the sacrifices were often taken among the demolished people and were regarded as part of the tribute.

According to the legend, a ten year old little girl, Tanta Carhua, had been chosen by her father to be sacrificed to the INCA emperor. The child, supposed physically perfect, was thus sent to the emperor with Cuzco where festivals and parades were given in the honor of its courage. She was buried alive in a tomb of the Andean mountains.

The children, considered pure, met the emperor and of the celebrations were made on their behalf. According to the beliefs of the incas, the sacrificed child became a god once carried by death. Before being buried alive, the child drank chicha , an alcohol, apparently to attenuate the perception of his directions. To honor it, the priests led ceremonies which accompanied it while its spirit left the ground. The same kind of Rite S is attested in other companies précolombiennes, in particular that of the Aztèque S.

Death of the INCA

To escort the INCA in its voyage in the other world, two of his wives, a servant and a warrior were sacrificed the day of its death. So-called volunteers, they were selected as of their more young age.

See too

Tiwanaku
Culture Mochica
INCA
Inti Raymi

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